Christmas Break Clash
by voice of morgoth
Summary: The third in what is now my holiday crossover trilogy. Dipper joins Mabel for a day of fun at a party. It turns out luck wouldn't be kind this day. Pinecest and Timmy x Vicky.


Dipper can see it in his eyes. He can see the same look his father gave him all those months ago. Fear and disgust; wondering how Dipper could commit such a vile act. The chill of the rain is in the air, even under the cover of the roof. And yet, Dipper's center is hot; he feels like his heart is burning. His chest is on fire. He feels hate; hatred for those who exposed him. His mind is burning with desire for revenge against this betrayal. But he can't seek it, because two police officers are standing before him.

"Apparently you two are twins?" an old, gruff officer asks.

"My name is Dipper…" he begins.

_Earlier_

Dipper lazily stretches before looking up from the bed. He looks around the room, wondering why he isn't in his housemates' basement before his mind returns to full awareness. The room is bright pink with several decorations of cute, bright eyed animals lining the wall. A poster of a bumblebee with the title "Bee yourself!" hangs on the wall to the left. Dipper looks over and sees who's in his arms. Mabel happily snores next to him, clinging to his bare chest like an anchor that is keeping her from floating away. Dipper is in Mabel's apartment in Dimmsdale. Down the hallway was the master bedroom, where the twins' mother slept; she knew of the twins' love. It nearly destroyed her before she managed to regain her strength and sanity. Dipper waits silently for his sister to reenter the waking world. The door down the hall clicks open. The twins' mother's footsteps echo down towards the living room. Dipper hears the T.V. turn on before the sound lowers. After another twenty minutes he hears the sound of pots and pans clinging in the kitchen through the closed door while his sister moans happily. Another body stirs awake at the feet of the bed. Mabel's pet pig Waddles smells the stench of cooking food and stands up. He oinks at the twins before walking down the ramp next to the bed and waits by the door.

"Oink, oink." Mabel says groggily in response to her four-legged friend. Dipper and Mabel slowly stir from the bed. Dipper walks over and finds his shirt tossed onto the floor, along with his pants and most of Mabel's clothes. The twins agreed that they would keep their relationship squarely in brother-sister territory before primal lust overrode their reasoning the night before. The twins were spending Mabel's long Christmas break together. The first three nights he stayed on the couch. His back ached in protest on the fourth day. Dipper, hoping that his mother had regained enough control over her alcohol addiction, had decided to join Mabel in her room. Surprisingly, the twins' mother didn't question them; neither did she allow the fact that Dipper and Mabel were alone for the entire night to ruin her mood. The twins mostly avoided the discussion of their love life over the week spent together, but today they wouldn't be able to avoid the issue. A party was being held at a club near Mabel's school, and she was dragging Dipper along.

Dipper and Mabel retrieve their clothes and redress before walking out the door. Their mother is cooking Mabel's favorite; pancakes. Dipper and Mabel walk over to the kitchen table and sit down while Waddles scurries under the table to wait for fallen treats.

"Hi Mom." Mabel says.

"Hey Mabel, hey Dipper." her mother replies. She no longer refers to Mabel as "sweetie," or "honey." Mabel is now becoming an adult and the twins' mother is finally accepting that, even if she chooses to ignore the relationship the siblings have together.

"So, are you two going to get out of the house today, or sit on the couch all day again?" the twins' mother asks.

"We've got a party coming up. This place has dancing and laser tag." Mabel replies groggily.

"You need a ride over there?"

"Okay, if it's fine with you."

"It's fine." their mother says.

The twins' banter together as their mother finishes breakfast. The two can finally open up with their mother in the same room, and she even joins them for some of their conversations.

"I can't believe they're making a new Bloodthirst series; what's up with that?" Mabel says.

"It's crazy. First they make the low budget sequel and then they jump right in with a new trilogy." Dipper replies.

"Going for the 'biggest dumb-dumbs of the century' award, probably."

"I know, right? No integrity with horror movie makers these days."

The twins' mother leaves a platter of pancakes in front of the twins before sitting down on the other side.

"Do you have any plans later?" Dipper asks his mother.

"I think I'm going to invite Mrs. Valentine over."

"How is she?" Mabel asks.

"She's doing good and she's talking with Vicky more. I have no idea how people as nice as the Valentines end up with a daughter like that."

"Dipper here thinks she may have demonic powers."

"I wouldn't doubt it. She still scares me."

"That's just how she is. She can be nice once you get to know her. Key word being 'can.'" Dipper says.

"I'll take your word for it. And what's this about the Bloodthirst movies? They're really making another one?"

"More than one. Going to bleed the franchise dry; pun intended." Dipper says.

"I never understood the appeal to horror movies. They're not very good."

"Even the good ones just end up with endless sequels. It must be an experiment by Hollywood. See how dumb each genre's fans are and then abuse the stupidest group for profit."

"I doubt it's actually planned." Mrs. Pines says with a smirk.

"Either way, it works. Other genres rise and fall, but horror movies keep making a steady stream of income."

Mabel slides several pieces of her pancakes onto the floor for Waddles to eat up.

"I don't think that's good for him." Dipper says.

"He's an omnivore; it means he can eat whatever he wants. Right Waddles?" Mabel says.

Waddles oinks in confirmation. After the twins and their mother finish eating, Dipper and Mabel walk over to the couch and lounge. The twins' mother left the news on, and the anchor is discussing the latest catastrophe in the Middle East.

"It is estimated that there are twenty casualties in the latest terrorist attack." The news anchor says.

"Only twenty? They'll never beat the high score with those numbers." Dipper jokes. Mabel smacks her brother playfully while the twins' mother looks at him awkwardly.

"Oh, right. Sorry." Dipper says, realizing his mother isn't as keen on his darker sense of humor. Over the months Dipper's stayed with Vicky, he's come to emulate her in subtle ways. His sense of humor has grown darker. He's begun watching her favorite sport, mixed martial arts, for the brutal and vicious nature. He feels a delightful tingle at the light smacking sound of a fighter taking a fist to the cheek, or watching their faces cringe in agony as their arms are stretched to the boundaries of human flexibility. And when no one else is in the house, he attempts to emulate Vicky's vileness. Cheerfully malign or outright maniacal cackling, Dipper has practiced how to make himself sound more like Vicky out of boredom and a strange fascination with the evil redhead.

Dipper and Mabel waste the morning watching T.V. with their mother. At noon, Mabel and Dipper stand up and walk towards Mabel's room. Mabel steps in and looks through her closet. She hands over a bowtie, a white, unbuttoned shirt with cufflinks and a black tuxedo with long flaps in the back.

"Nice and fancy." Dipper says as he walks to the bathroom. Dipper changes into his stylish, new outfit. He adjusts his black bowtie before walking out of the bathroom. The teen walks out into the hallway and waits for his sister to finish up. Mabel walks out of her room in a white, flowing dress and greets Dipper in the living room.

"Where'd you get these?" Dipper asks.

"I got the tux from Dixie's… I kinda made up a story to the manager about going to a Christmas dance with someone with a terminal disease. I got it for twenty bucks." Mabel says while rubbing her shoulder awkwardly. Dipper laughs lightly before taking a closer look at Mabel's dress.

"Is that… is that the Halloween dress?" Dipper asks.

"Yeah." Mabel says with a laugh.

"You sly, cheap cheat." Dipper says.

"I do my best." Mabel says.

"Oh, I almost forgot. I'm going to bring the good luck charm."

"You're weird." Mabel says.

Dipper walks into Mabel's room; he finds the two strange Christmas presents from Vicky and Timmy. Vicky had bought Dipper a fake switchblade with gold apparently grafted into the handle. She bought the twins a pair; Mabel's had bright green jewels embedded in the handle, and Vicky kept a third for herself with pink rubies. Timmy had found a trinket on the internet. A good luck charm of the eye of providence. Timmy remembered Dipper's bizarre and creative stories and dreams from the summer he spent in Gravity Falls. Bill Cipher was the name of the demonic all-seeing eye, whose diabolical plans threatened the world. Timmy bought the small, triangular eye off of a silly old lady on an arts and crafts website. Dipper fetches the items, desiring to show them off to his friends later. He wraps the gold chained, bright yellow triangle around his neck and shoves it down his shirt and puts the switchblade in his pocket.

The twins walk into the living room where their mother waits on the couch. She smiles when she sees the twins. She remembers the joy she felt when she would send them off to their parties. She remembers anticipating the twins' final year of high school. She'd often wonder if Dipper would finally find a girlfriend; a reason to go out into the world besides hanging out with Mabel. It turns out Mabel was the one.

"Are you two ready to go?"

"Yes, I believe so." Dipper says.

"Yep." Mabel says.

The twins walk with their mother out to the car.

"They say it's going to rain later. Give me a call if you need to be picked up." Mrs. Pines says.

"Will do." Dipper responds. The twins get in the backseat of the car as their mother drives off. The sky is beginning to turn grey and the wind is blowing fast when the twins' mother drops them off. Dipper and Mabel step out of the car and wave to their mother before walking towards the large building. Dipper and Mabel meet A.J. and Trixie outside.

"Why are you two dressed all fancy?" Trixie asks.

"Because reasons!" Dipper and Mabel shout dramatically, eliciting a laugh from their friends.

"Yeah, I actually just wanted to get all fancy and stuff. I know, I'm a dork." Mabel says.

"The best dork there is." Dipper says.

"No, that'd be you."

"I am the King of the Dorkdom, and you shall be my queen. Together we shall bring prosperity to the Dorkdom and Loopyville." Dipper says dramatically.

"Yeah, you keep dorking off, Dipper." Mabel says. The twins laugh together as they walk into the building with their friends. The twins follow A.J. and Trixie over to the entrance for the laser tag. Lights shoot around the walls as deep, vibrating music echoes throughout the doors. Trixie shoves a wad of money at the ticket holder. Trixie and her friends wait in line for the next round as Dipper and Mabel try and rhyme words together.

"Mabel." Dipper says.

"Table."

"Label."

"Uh, cable."

"Gable."

"Uh, uh, stable."

"Able."

"Uh, Schnable. Oh darn it." Mabel says with a frown.

"Yes; score one for Pine Tree." Dipper says energetically.

The line begins moving as the previous group walks back into the brightly light hallway. They cover their eyes and groan at the irritatingly bright room. Trixie walks in first and grabs several futuristic guns for her friends. The blinking, purple weapons shine a bright green dot when the trigger is pressed. Mabel uses the gun to annoy Dipper by flashing the light in his eyes rapidly.

"Clicky clickidy click click." Mabel says playfully as Dipper closes his eyes and laughs. Mabel and Dipper force the dark purple vests awkwardly over their elegant clothes before walking into the large room with their friends. The soundtrack is deafening. Mabel needs to be right next to Dipper for her words to reach his ears.

"YO DIPPER! TAG TEAM TWINS, REMEMBER?"

"WHAT? DON'T SAY THAT OUT LOUD!"

"SAY WHAT OUT LOUD? THE FACT THAT WE'RE TWO TWINS HAVING FREAKY INCEST FUN?"

"MABEL, THEY'LL HEAR US!"

"YOU CAN HEAR US, RIGHT TRIXIE?" Mabel shouts to her friend.

"WHAT?" Trixie yells. Mabel snickers to herself as Dipper groans. The twins split up from their friends and make their way to a corner. A loud horn echoes through the room, indicating the start of the game. Dipper and Mabel man the two walls, shooting anyone foolish enough to approach the dynamic duo. Dipper aims an imaginary sight on his gun and takes precise shots against the attackers. Mabel fires chaotically, somehow managing to hit as many targets as Dipper with her deranged patterns. The twins rack up points on their guns. Tens and hundreds change on the small receiver built into the weapons. Near the end of the round, Mabel is a hundred points ahead of Dipper. He needs a center shot to win, so he turns to the only available target. Dipper and Mabel turn and shoot each other in the chest. Mabel maintains her hundred point lead as the loud horn blares again, signaling the end of the round. Dipper and Mabel join A.J. and Trixie outside the entrance as they discuss their game.

"Seven hundred points." Trixie says proudly.

"I got six hundred and fifty." A.J. says.

"One thousand, two hundred and fifty." Dipper says while mimicking dual pistols with his fingers.

"That, but a hundred more."

"Why'd you shoot me?" Dipper asks with mock betrayal in his voice.

"Why'd _you_ shoot _me_?"

"I needed more points. We had a nice, even tie."

"And I needed the points for the tiebreaker!" Mabel says exasperatedly. Dipper furrows his eyebrows at her in mock frustration.

"What are you doing?" Mabel asks.

"This is me, wiggling my eyebrows at you." Dipper says.

"They look like they're going to shoot off your face and start dancing." Mabel says playfully. Dipper starts laughing, unable to maintain his serious façade.

"So, do you want to go get food or dance?" Trixie asks.

"I'm getting grumbles in my belly. I demand nutrition!" Mabel shouts.

"Yeah, I'm getting hungry too." Dipper says.

"Alright. We'll go get some food."

The twins and their friends walk down the hallway towards the large dance club. A large blue disco ball hangs from the ceiling and spins with the lights shining on it, illuminating the room and giving it a blue winter-like hue.

"Pretty colors." Mabel says. The group ignores the dance floor as they walk along the edge of the room towards the tables.

"So, what did you get for Christmas?" A.J. asks.

"I got a cute little suit for Waddles from Timmy, and Vicky gave me and Dipper matching knives. My mom got Dipper and me new bikes." Mabel says.

"Matching knives?" A.J. says in disbelief.

"Yeah. Here, look." Dipper says while taking the switchblade out.

"Is that real gold?" Trixie asks.

"I think so. I'm not asking since I don't want to be rude." Dipper says while putting the fake blade back into his pocket. A waitress comes over with menus for the two couples.

"You need anything to drink?" she asks.

"Rocket Juice!" Mabel says energetically.

"I'll have the diet cola, thanks." Dipper says.

"I'll have the large sunbeam." A.J. says.

"Just water for me." Trixie replies.

The waitress walks off to fetch the drinks.

"So, you want to share the large order of curly fries?" Mabel asks.

"Yes, that sounds good." Dipper says. Dipper watches the mass of bodies move around the room as the large thumping music echoes through his ears. The waitress returns with the group's drinks and takes their order. She returns several minutes later with the group's food. Dipper and Mabel look at the world happily as they eat their fries.

"Yo Dipper, take this end." Mabel says while picking up a large, spiral fry.

"Why?"

"Just do it." Mabel commands. Dipper takes the end of the large fry and reads Mabel's mind, placing the end in his mouth while Mabel takes the other end in hers. Mabel counts to three with her fingers before the twins race to the middle. Mabel chomps most of the fry into her mouth before meeting Dipper's lips. Mabel laughs goofily while she swallows her food.

"I win." she says with a grin.

"You always were a fast eater." Dipper says. Once the pair have finished eating, Mabel begins lightly bouncing in her seat, ready for a dance.

"You have an unnatural amount of energy." A.J. says.

"I'm hyperdimensional!"

"Another dimension? So that's where you store all the glitter and sugar." Dipper says.

"You wanna go have some fun, Dipper?" Mabel asks.

"I'm always up for fun. They don't call me the BuzzKill Killer for nothing."

"No one calls you that."

"I call me that, so someone does."

"Anyways, me and Trixie are going to wait a bit. I don't want to throw up accidentally." A.J. says, trying to get a word in with the loony twins.

"Okay. Dipper and I are gonna get jiggy with it!" Mabel says energetically. Mabel grabs Dipper's hand and pulls him out of the seat. Mabel drags Dipper onto the center of the dance floor and immediately jumps into a rhythm. Dipper awkwardly dances in an attempt to keep up with Mabel's vigor.

"It frightens me how much oomph you have sometimes." Dipper says.

"And other times… _you can't get enough of it._" Mabel says sensually. Dipper blushes slightly as he continues to jiggle his body with Mabel's. The twins end up moving their bodies close together, sensually rubbing against each other. Dipper feels Mabel's creamy skin rub against his hands. Her warmth sends shocks tingling through his body. He's in heaven.

"Yeah, I really love it." Dipper says happily. The next song that plays is a slow, romantic tango. Dipper puts his right hand on Mabel's waist and laces his fingers with hers. Dipper attempts to keep up with Mabel's rhythm; he stumbles and trips several times before giving up and slowing down, much to Mabel's amusement.

"You're like a noodly, drunk ragdoll bro." Mabel says. Dipper and Mabel continue dancing, not aware of a familiar presence entering the building. Just as Dipper dips Mabel romantically his old friend from Piedmont walks up to the pair.

"Dipper?" Chad says, wondering what the twins are doing. Dipper and Mabel lift back up and try to play their dance off as casual fun.

"Oh, hey Chad. What brings you here?" Dipper asks.

"We came up to visit you, but you weren't at Turner's house. I thought I saw you walk in, but I guess it was someone else."

"Let's find a seat." Dipper says. Dipper and Mabel walk back to the tables with Chad and sit down.

"So, who else came up?" Dipper asks.

"Laura drove Ryan and Sofia up, and I came with George. The whole group wants to see you. Where were you?"

"Mabel and I both have two weeks off, so I'm staying with her." Dipper says.

"Okay. You want to… is that lipstick on your face?" Chad asks Dipper. Mabel's lush, red lipstick smeared slightly against Dipper's lips when they ate the fry.

"Uh, I don't think so." Dipper says. He rubs the sides of his mouth to remove the evidence of the twins' love life.

"So why are you dressed all fancy? Do you have a date?" Chad asks Dipper slyly.

"No, no; Mabel and I just wanted to have some fun. We got this nice tux at a discount, so I wouldn't want the opportunity to just slip away." Dipper says.

"Come on, you're definitely on a date. The lipstick, the fancy dresses. Who is it?" Chad asks.

"No one; Mabel and I were just hanging out today. If you're here, why don't we get going?" Dipper says. His date with Mabel would be cut short, but he wasn't about to let one of Mabel's new friends ruin the twins' secret.

"Well, we've got the rest of the week. There's no rush." Chad says.

"The week will be over soon. Come on, let's go." Dipper says. Dipper and Mabel stand up with Chad. Unfortunately, Trixie was looking for the pair.

"Oh, Dipper; Mabel. There you are. I was going to invite the gang over for a New Year's party. You up for it?"

"Y-yeah, sure. We were just going to leave. My friends from Piedmont are in town. We're going to hang out. Right now." Mabel says nervously.

Dipper, however, is watching Chad. He's trying to figure out what Chad's thinking. Seeing if his old friend can piece together the puzzle. Chad was never the most aware kid, but that didn't mean he couldn't figure it out.

"Okay, sure. A.J. and I need a break." Trixie says as she sits down.

"So Dipper, are you doing okay? Do you need any help with money?" Trixie asks.

"No, I'm good. Thanks for asking."

"Alright. I'm sorry your parents kicked you out. What kinds of jerks do that to their kid?" Trixie says. Chad's nearly going to correct her when A.J. speaks up.

"Actually, I got a second wind. You want to keep dancing?" A.J. asks.

"Oh, sure. You're not lying to make me feel better, are you?" Trixie says.

"No. Just needed to rest my legs. Come on." A.J. says. A.J. and Trixie stand up and leave, but not before Trixie says goodbye.

"Bye Mabel, bye Snyder." Trixie says before disappearing back into the crowded room.

"What? Snyder? You're using a fake name?" Chad says with a chuckle.

"Yes." Dipper says.

"Why?"

"Tax purposes." Dipper responds casually. Chad laughs awkwardly at Dipper's response. Chad was never the type to break the law, and that was one of the reasons Dipper wouldn't trust him with the twins' secret.

"You really shouldn't be doing anything illegal."

"I'm not. I just wanted to start over."

"That doesn't make any sense. Ah, whatever. So who are you dating, Mabel?" Chad says.

"Me? I'm not dating anyone. Nope." Mabel says nervously.

"Then why'd you come dressed so fancy? And you've kissed someone." Chad says, noticing the light smear of Mabel's lipstick. Dipper holds his breath as he continues to watch Chad. Dipper watches as Chad puts together the pieces of the puzzle. The smeared lipstick on Mabel's mouth and the speck of lipstick on Dipper's face. Dipper with a false name; Dipper and Mabel dancing in a way siblings aren't supposed to. Dipper abandoning his old life to live near Mabel. Chad always thought the twins were strange; that they were different. This was an entire other level of strangeness.

"Wh-what are you two doing?" Chad asks, mentally cringing at the thoughts in his head.

"What do you mean?" Dipper asks, hoping to play everything off as a misunderstanding.

"You… you kissed." Chad says.

"What? That'd be weird. Ew." Mabel says nervously and in a voice that isn't convinced about the grossness of Chad's implied relationship.

"You danced. You're… are you dating or something?" Chad says awkwardly.

"We aren't, and even if we were, why would you care?" Dipper asks.

"It's just… wrong." Chad says.

"Well, we aren't, so whatever. Let's go; I want to go hang with the gang. In Spain. With a crane." Mabel says.

"They're hanging out over town, or at my mom's, or at the hotel. I should get going." Chad says. He doesn't want to be there any longer, feeling uncomfortable with the twins. Dipper sees right through his old friend.

"Why don't you want to be with us? We're the same as we've always been. There's just more to it." Dipper asks.

"Well, it's just..."

"Come on, nothing's changed." Mabel says.

"It's just, like, weird."

"You aren't going to tell anyone, right?" Dipper asks with pleading eyes.

"Uh, no." Chad says.

"Thanks. I hope we can hang out again. Maybe we can go somewhere with Mabel's friends tomorrow. Show them the town or something." Dipper says.

"Okay. I should get going." Chad says.

"Okay We'll keep in touch. Sorry I haven't been calling much." Dipper says. Once Chad leaves, Dipper looks to Mabel.

"We should probably go, too." Dipper says. He wants to avoid Mabel's friends for the rest of the week. Once they're back in Piedmont, they'd have no evidence of the twins' relationship except a rumor passing through. Rumors about the twins had spread before; slander and gossip made up by some of Mabel's exes or simply word of mouth.

"He's not going to tell. He's a good guy." Mabel says.

"I don't know, maybe."

"Come on. One last dance, then we'll go, oh paranoid one." Mabel says.

"Okay. Sure." Dipper says. Dipper sighs in relief; Mabel could always settle his nerves. Dipper and Mabel return to the dance floor. Mabel grins happily as she leans her head on his shoulder.

Dipper holds Mabel close as the two dance slowly. Dipper's friend knows about them now, but he agreed to keep the twins' secret. Dipper relaxes as Mabel moans happily into his ear.

"Afterwards, do you want to go out to dinner?" Dipper asks.

"Yeah, that'd be nice. Maybe we can drag Mom along."

"Hopefully it won't be too awkward."

"It won't be. She's doing a lot better now."

"I know, but it'll still be a bit weird. 'Hey Mom, let's ignore the fact your two kids are in love with each other.'" Dipper whispers.

Dipper and Mabel snicker together. The two teens dance together as time slips by. Dipper does not pay attention to the clock. He wants this perfect moment to last forever. But eventually the aches in his feet demand a stop to the twins' fun.

"Maybe we could go sit down?" Dipper says.

"Don't you want to just keep going?"

"I'd like to, but my legs are disagreeing with me."

"We're a democracy, so your legs get outvoted by my limbs." Mabel says with a grin.

"Hey, you can't vote about my body."

"Can and will."

"Yeah, I can keep my legs going a bit longer." Dipper says.

"Really? I was just joking."

"I know, but I can manage."

Dipper forces his legs to continue moving despite their protests. A.J. and Trixie say their goodbyes before walking out. Dipper and Mabel continue to stay in the center, feeling the warmth of each other's body. Dipper looks out across the room to the entrance. Dipper glances curiously as Chad returns into the building. And his heart skips a beat when he spots Ryan and George come in after. Then Sofia and Laura. Dipper's face contorts into fear as he watches his father come in with them.

"_No. Why is he here?_" Dipper thinks. And then he sees the end approach. Three police officers walk into the building with the group. Dipper strengthens his hold on Mabel; his breathing becomes slow and labored.

"Mabel, don't turn around. We need to go; there's an exit to my left." Dipper states. His voice is strong; he sounds more like a general explaining his battle plan than the brother Mabel knows. She knows something's gone horribly wrong. She begins walking towards the exit, keeping her eyes away from the entrance. Dipper walks side by side with her. He tightens his hand around hers as his mind turns hazy with fear. He can barely think as the two walk towards the exit. Dipper turns and looks past Mabel's head at the police. They still haven't noticed the twins, giving Dipper and Mabel time to leave the building. The twins walk down a short hallway past the kitchen. They're nearly to the door when they're stopped by one of the cooks.

"Hey, you can't be down here. Employees only."

"We were just leaving. I figured we could use the side door since it was closer." Dipper says. His voice is wavering; every second wasted means the police are closer to the twins. The cook eyes the pair suspiciously before speaking again.

"Sorry, that door will trigger the fire alarm."

"Oh… alright." Dipper says.

"_Don't panic. Stay calm… think think think. I know. They'll probably search the bathrooms first. Once they do, we'll double back._"

Dipper holds Mabel's hand tight as he waits. He watches across the way as two of the cops and the twins' father walk towards the bathroom. The others are waiting somewhere else. Dipper gulps before deciding to make a run for it. The twins can shove the cook out of the way if they have to. Dipper and Mabel begin to turn around.

"Dipper, what the hell are you doing?" an exasperated voice asks. Dipper turns to spot George and the other cop. This was it; it's over.

"Uh, hel-hello?" Dipper says in a pitiful attempt to act casually.

"We'd like to speak with you for a couple minutes." the cop says.

"Um… sure." Dipper replies. Mabel and Dipper walk slowly forward, seeing their world unravel with every step. The cook stays behind, making sure the twins don't run.

"_Why is Dad even here? Why didn't he stay away?!"_

Dipper can barely think. He feels the sadness that desperately seeks to release itself as a torrent of tears. He feels the fear of knowing he'll take the fall for everything. And yet he feels something he hasn't felt in a long time; hatred. It feels as if his mind is boiling. He can't think; his surroundings blur together in a sea of insanity.

"Dipper?" Mabel says fearfully. Mabel drags Dipper back into the real world, but only temporarily.

"_I'm never going to see Mabel again._" Dipper thinks as the two continue walking. They walk back towards the building's entrance. The twins' are joined by the other cops and their father. Ryan glares daggers at Dipper, judging the teen for his apparent role in hurting Mabel.

"We'd like to speak with you separately." The police officer says to Dipper.

Dipper's hand slowly slips from Mabel's grasp. And then Dipper hears it; the sound that drives him over the edge. Mabel lets out a high-pitched cry before bottling up her emotions, trying to hide how scared and sad she is. The sound stabs deep into Dipper's heart. He has to force himself not to cry or to scream. He feels and hears his heart pounding against his ribcage as he walks with two of the police officers, Chad, and George outside. Yet the sound of Mabel's heart shattering is still ringing through Dipper's ears. He remembers that noise all too well. When the twins were separated before, Mabel poured her eyes out into her pillow. Dipper could hear it across the hallway from his room. The sound of his own personal Hell; hearing Mabel cry and being powerless to help. Dipper watches as people run in and out of the building. Rain is falling on the Californian city under the grey sky. And yet Dipper feels hot. Hotter than he's ever felt.

"_I'll kill them! I'll kill them! I'll kill them!_" Dipper screams in his thoughts. Something breaks in Dipper's head. He no longer feels the effects of anger; the only feeling left is heat. He feels blissful, aside from the annoying chill of the golden pyramid touching his chest. Dipper loosens the chain around his neck and pulls out the eye, letting the bright, gold colored metal dangle against his shirt.

"What is that?" one of the officers asks.

"Good luck charm. Guess it didn't work." Dipper says lightly. He plots in his head; he sees A.J. and Trixie waiting for a car while standing underneath a bright pink umbrella.

"Hey A.J., could you help me out over here?" Dipper shouts. A.J. excuses himself from his girlfriend before walking over to join Dipper.

"What's going on?"

"I don't know. Hey, officer…"

"Smith."

"Could we head someplace not as rainy? There's a roof over in the alley."

"Very well." the officer says.

"What's your name?" Dipper asks the other cop. Dipper no longer seems affected by the situation. He comes across as mildly annoyed.

"Jefferson."

Dipper leads the group down into the alley away from the onlookers. The dank, musty smell penetrates the nostrils and causes discomfort to everyone. The smell of old, rotten food mixes with sewage and dead animals. Dipper approaches the other side of the fire exit and sits down on the steps under the awning.

"So, we got a call from your dad. Apparently you and the girl are twins?" the officer says.

"My name is Dipper Snyder. Well, Billy Snyder. Dipper's my nickname."

"You're related." Chad says matter-of-factly.

He has the same look of disgust and disbelief in his eyes that the twins' father had the last time they met. Dipper ignores his desire to throttle his old friend into unconsciousness while he continues to lie.

"I haven't met these two before." Dipper says while motioning towards Chad and George.

"What the hell." Chad says bewilderedly. He and George wonder if Dipper is controlling Mabel. Dipper always seemed to be the smarter of the two twins. He could have easily manipulated Mabel into this relationship. Then they wonder if instead Mabel manipulated Dipper; Dipper never had many friends, and Mabel could have used Dipper's loneliness to her advantage to make up for the fact her boyfriends never lasted more than a couple months. Then Chad and George think that, maybe, the two are what they appear to be; disgusting and abnormal.

"I live here in Dimmsdale. My friend A.J. and I went to school together."

"Went?" the officer says.

"Yeah, I graduated last year."

"Is this true?" the cop asks A.J.

"Yes… yes it is." A.J. responds. He nearly considers telling the truth, but at the moment he's scared of something more than going to jail for lying to the police. Dipper has a blank, serene look on his face. Dipper doesn't seem to register the situation's danger, instead almost appearing happy. Something in Dipper's mind has snapped, and A.J. does not want to be caught in the crossfire.

"So, can you confirm your identity?" the cop asks.

Dipper feigns looking through his pockets for his wallet before he pretends that it's missing. Dipper had wanted to change his name before, but the bureaucracy would send him and his mother jumping through hoops. Worse, his father might have been dragged in and the old man would turn Dipper's life into a living hell. Dipper would have to rely on only his wits today.

"Crap. I must have left it in my jacket." Dipper says with mock frustration. The officer rubs the tip of his nose in irritation.

"Do you have any other way to confirm you are who you claim to be?" the officer asks in an annoyed tone.

"Yeah. I'll call Mabel's mom." Dipper says. He takes his phone out of his pocket and looks through the saved numbers. He lands on the number for Vicky's cellphone and calls. Dipper's next game piece was busy. He has to dial several times before receiving an answer.

"What do you want?" Vicky responds in an exhausted, annoyed tone from the other end.

"Hey, where are you, Mrs. Pines?"

"I, uh, I'm in the car… with Timmy."

"Yes, yes. Uncle Phillips is fine. No, he hasn't joined with Jeffrey and Son's yet. He's still working with the other law firm. Smith's. Yes… just please." Dipper says. Vicky silently listens in on the other end, confused at Dipper's rambling. Dipper hopes she can piece together his hidden message.

Phillips, Jefferson, and Smith. Phillips was Vicky's friend in the police force; a gruff and tough detective who didn't seem to give a damn about anything anymore, having seen the worst the human race had to offer and shrugging most of it off. Phillips is also not the cleanest officer; he holds the view that good and evil are not always the same as being lawful and criminal. He had broken the law several times for a higher purpose, and Dipper hopes he can use Vicky's friendship with Phillips to his advantage.

Before Dipper can continue the officer motions for the phone. Dipper hands over the cellphone; now it was up to Vicky to play her part.

"Mrs. Pines. My name is Officer Smith. Can you confirm the name of your daughter's boyfriend?"

"Uh, yes. What was it, Dipper? No, that was his nickname… Oh, this is embarrassing." Vicky says, playing along with Dipper's story while speaking in a sweet, innocent tone.

"Billy Snyder?"

"Yes… yes, that's his name. Is he in trouble?"

"No ma'am, just needed to clear up an issue. Sorry for bothering you."

The officer switches the phone off and hands it back to Dipper.

"So why the hell are these two and the others calling you the lady's brother?" the officer asks.

"He is-"Chad starts. Dipper overpowers his friend's voice with his own.

"Officer, I think George here is suffering an episode. Mabel mentioned that he needs to take medication to stop hallucinations; I thought she was making it up at first, but I guess not, and I guess this other guy here doesn't know about it." Dipper says while motioning to Chad.

"Wh-what?! I'm not crazy!" George shouts.

"You can probably find his medication in his pockets." Dipper says.

"N-no, all I take is this." George says while reaching into his pockets. He hands over a bottle of his medication for Bipolar disorder. George needs to take his medication regularly. He needs to carry it around with him in case he's caught up away from home. Dipper knows his friend's schedule, and he knows the type of medication.

"Abilify." the cop says, thinking aloud.

"Also called Aripiprazole. It's an anti-psychotic medication. I had a feeling he hadn't been taking it." Dipper says.

"No, I take it for Bipolar." George says.

"Hey, you don't need to lie. We aren't going to judge you." Dipper says in a calm and sympathetic tone.

"That still doesn't explain why Mabel's father is coming after you." Officer Smith says.

"Mabel mentioned her father… he kind of lost it. He was a drinker, and sometimes he hit Mabel's mother. That's why they got divorced. I think the poor bastard's just trying to force his family back together and doesn't know how." Dipper looks down sadly, showing false sympathy for his father.

"And the others, I have no idea. I think Ryan is one of Mabel's ex's. She wasn't always the nicest with her past relationships, so him and his friends are probably pissed off and want to hurt her. All I know is, if I was Mabel's brother, I would never hurt her like that. I think I just got the perfect shitstorm coming after me. Shitty good luck charm; maybe it's upside down." Dipper says. He laughs lightly, as if the whole situation was nothing more than a misunderstanding. His friends stare in disbelief at Dipper's mastery of the conversation while the cops look on suspiciously. There were still far too many people who called Dipper and Mabel twins. Before they can continue interrogating Dipper, they receive a call on their radios.

"Hey, it's Phillips. I need you guys back at the station. Over."

"Uh, that's kind of against protocol. Over."

"Since when have any of us given a damn about protocol? Come on, I'll buy you some coffee. Over."

"Donuts? Over."

"Of course. Over and Out."

The officers look back at Dipper on the steps before deciding to walk away. They don't know if Phillips calling was a coincidence or if Dipper had friends in high places. All they know is they're tired and exhausted from a long shift of nothing important happening. They attempt to take George in and put their hands on his shoulders, thinking that even if he was telling the truth, he was still a potential danger due to his need of medication.

"Don't worry officer. I've read about this before; people like him aren't violent, so there's no need to drag him away or anything. We'll just wait here. We'll give his family a call to come and pick him up." Dipper says.

Dipper speaks calmly and maturely, giving the officers no glimpse into how angry he's become and how badly he wants to harm his old friends. The two officers shrug and begin walking away.

"Where are you going?" Chad asks.

"We've got better things to do than this bullshit, so fuck it, you sort it out." One of the cops says before the two walk out of the alley and back towards the cruiser. The two cops get in and drive off, deciding that not telling the third officer meant more coffee and donuts for the two of them.

Chad and George can only watch in disbelief. Dipper's long buried emotions rise to the surface in a tidal wave of madness. Dipper begins sobbing in pain and relief as tears pour down his cheeks with the rain. But there's something wrong with his voice. His cries are high-pitched, rhythmic, and rapid. He isn't just crying, he's laughing.

A.J. begins backing away as Dipper laughs mindlessly to himself. Dipper's fingers spaz chaotically as he hugs himself, as if he's trying to keep whatever is rising to the surface buried. Dipper then looks up, staring into George's eyes with malicious glee. Dipper jumps from his spot on the pavement like a jack in the box popping up and saunters over to his former friends.

"Et tu, Brute?" Dipper says with an overly cheerful grin.

"Wh-what?" Chad responds.

"It means 'you too, Brutus.' If you ever bothered paying attention in class, maybe you'd learn something. How is school, by the way? Still failing basic math?" Dipper says.

He speaks in a polite and friendly tone, yet malicious venom underscores every word as he passively insults Chad. Dipper walks up to George and places his arm around George's shoulder.

"And you! Curious George! How's life been? Still a worthless, depressed idiot? You know, there's some medicine for that. Just one shot and bliss is yours. Unless you miss, that is. Then I guess it'll take several shots." Dipper says before laughing. George looks terrified of Dipper's new personality. Dipper walks back to Chad.

"Come on Chad, why you being so gloomy?" Dipper says with a happy grin.

"I mean, you did just stab your one and only friend in the back over something as stupid as taboo love." Dipper says, insulting Chad's social insecurity. The old teen always did fear that people merely tolerated him, and here was Dipper confirming his fears.

"Ah, who am I kidding; we were never friends." Dipper says with a light laugh. He bears his teeth like a shark ready to tear into his victim's neck. Chad backs away from Dipper, who casually ignores him as he stares down George. A.J. has already left the alley, not wishing to see what Dipper has in mind for his old friends.

"Anyways, I should get going. It was nice seeing you again." Dipper says as he turns around, apparently ignoring the two. Dipper begins walking up the steps to the fire exit before stopping. His foot slips and Dipper falls forward, smacking his head against the concrete. Dipper then leans back up robotically, as if he's a clockwork soldier with gears turning in his back. Dipper twirls in place like a demented ballerina and walks back to his friends.

"Sorry, I almost forgot!" Dipper says with a terrifying smirk. Dipper begins counting with his fingers. He makes his way up to the tenth digit and smiles gleefully at George.

"Congratulations George! You're the tenth person who's found out about me and Mabel! You win a prize!"

"Wh-what?" George says in confusion.

"A new voice box!" Dipper shouts before punching George in the throat; Dipper grabs George's leg and trips him. Dipper then turns towards Chad and removes the fake knife from his left pocket.

"I know you don't like blood, so you might want to turn away for this part." Dipper says. He giggles psychotically as Chad turns around to run and get the other cop, only to find his old babysitter waiting at the alley's entrance. Dipper turns back to George and grabs his leg, whistling a happy tune as he drags George down the alley. George attempts to yell for help, only to find that his voice doesn't come out. Dipper paralyzed his vocal chords with the punch, and George can only watch in horror as his escape slips away. Vicky comes walking by with Chad in her hand. She's muffling his screams with her palm over his mouth while slowly forcing him back. Dipper lifts George up and sets him against a large, rusty dumpster. George tries to force Dipper away, but finds the knife placed to his throat. Vicky throws Chad against the dumpster; the sound of his body smacking into the metal echoes throughout the alley and dazes the teen. Dipper puts his knife away as he and Vicky force Dipper's old friends in place. Dipper is furious; he nearly lost everything to these two. Chad exposed him and nearly sent Dipper to jail. He all but ruined Dipper's life. But that wasn't the worst of it; they made Mabel cry.

Dipper clenches his right hand and throws a punch. His hand connects with the metal dumpster and sends a loud bang throughout the alley. Dipper begins smashing his fists angrily into the metal, ignoring the pain shooting through his knuckles and arms. Chad and George can merely cower in fear as Dipper releases his rage on the metal. Eventually Dipper pulls away and stands up, sighing satisfactorily. His knuckles are bruised and bloodied. If not for the surge of adrenaline pumping through his brain, he would be rubbing his arms and knuckles in agony.

"Wow, these hands are durable!" Dipper says to himself, lightly giggling while wiggling his fingers sporadically.

"P-please let me go." Chad whimpers. Dipper is somehow worse than Vicky's ever seemed. It's as if Dipper's mind has shattered and a demon has taken the reins. Dipper turns and places his right foot on Chad's shoulder, using the teen as a footstool. Dipper leans down as his left hand dangles to the side lifelessly. Dipper tilts his head like a curious dog as Chad begins to cry, all while Dipper continues smiling sadistically.

"Wow, you are really pathetic. I've met fixed dogs with more balls than you, Chatty Chad."

Dipper moves away and lifts the lid of the dumpster up. Dipper lifts Chad up by the neck and forces the teens arm under the lid before he begins to slam the lid down.

"No!" Chad screams. Dipper rolls his eyes at Chad's plea before taking his arm out and shoving Chad back down.

"Come on, I'm just going to crush your arms!" Dipper says while shoving his left arm into the dumpster. He then slams the lid down on his own arm, cringing slightly before ignoring the shock of pain.

"See? It's not that bad." Dipper says before taking his arm out. Vicky's keeping her eyes on the two victims, but she's glancing at Dipper nervously. Unlike Vicky's gleefully evil act, Dipper seems to have completely lost it. She wonders how far he's willing to go.

"George, meet Vicky. Vicky, George." Dipper says. George looks at the redhead before he remembers Chad's stories. The evil, psychotic redhead called Vicky Valentine.

"Yes, Vicky is very real. You ever wonder what she did with the kids who were too slow to dodge her weapons? Food for thought." Dipper says.

"Do you want to know why I hang around with Vicky?" Dipper says casually while taking his switchblade out and examining it. He begins ranting as he haphazardly swings the blade around and walking back and forth, almost ignoring them as he blabbers.

"It's because, well, I like her. She's fun, she makes good company. And, once she's become your friend, there's nothing she wouldn't do for you. We've got a plan. A little crisscross action in case one of us gets jailed. If one of her old charges comes after her and gets her arrested, then I pay them a visit and make sure they decide 'you know? Maybe Vicky isn't so bad after all.' And if some piece of shit like you two or my father try and ruin my life with Mabel, then Vicky is going to make you disappear. My only regret would be, as I sit in prison, that I wouldn't be there to see what Vicky does to you."

"P-p..." Chad pleads as tears stream down his face.

"P-p-p-p. What's wrong, develop a stutter?" Dipper says mockingly before falling to his knees. Dipper's eyes shift psychotically between George and Chad.

"So, this is what's going to happen, Chatty Chad and Curious George. You are going to crawl back to your mommies and pretend this never happened. Then you're going to pretend, for the rest of your lives, that Mabel and I are dead. You are never going to contact us again; you are never going to look for us again. If you spot us in a store, you're going to turn around and leave. Because if I ever see either of you two again, I will put this knife in your throat and bleed you out. Got it?"

Chad and George don't respond.

"Got it?!" Dipper shouts.

Chad nods his head rapidly.

"Good. Now get the hell out of here."

Dipper allows the terrified teen to flee back towards the parking lot while continuing to stare at George. Vicky's nearly ready to bark a command when Dipper puts the blade away and grabs George's face, pulling at his muscles like a puppet.

"All you have to say is 'I'm sorry Mr. Dipper, I won't bother you again.'" Dipper says while pulling George's face around to mimic speech. George attempts to speak but finds his throat is still sore. All that comes out of his mouth is a pitifully hoarse mumble.

"Eh, good enough." Dipper says. Vicky and Dipper stand up and allow George to run out of the alley. But he doesn't leave. He picks up a piece of broken glass and turns back towards his attackers. Dipper rolls his eyes disinterestedly before approaching George.

"Really? You think that broken junk can actually do anything? I mean, you'll get one good stab out of it, but you're holding it with the sharpest end. Your hand will suffer more than me. You must be stupider than I thought, which is not an easy accomplishment. Bravo!" Dipper says; he begins mock clapping in celebration of his friend's ignorance. Dipper then takes his switchblade out and tosses it to George's feet.

"Now that right there is a weapon. Perfect grip, easily retracted from a body, and concealable."

Dipper begins slowly walking towards George, shambling like a possessed corpse. George drops the glass and picks up the knife as his nightmare continues. He begins crying as he holds the knife threateningly against Dipper. Dipper simply continues walking towards his ex-friend with destructive glee in his eyes and a demonic smile across his face. Dipper forces George to stab him, lunging at his former friend and taking the blade into his chest. George drops the knife in remorse. Dipper grabs his stomach with his left hand in apparent pain as he collapses to his knees. Dipper's right hand hits the glass; the jagged edge cuts across Dipper's palm and his hand begins bleeding. Dipper uses his wound to his advantage, taking his hand and rubbing his chest where he was apparently stabbed. Dipper begins laughing in apparent agony.

"Pain… is hilarious!" Dipper says while wheezing and giggling. Dipper picks the knife back up and stands up as he lets go of his chest, revealing his apparent stab wounds. And yet Dipper is unfazed; nothing stops him as he shambles towards George.

"So killing me didn't work. Do you have a plan B?" Dipper asks. George turns around and flees as if Hell itself has come for him; his voice wheezes pitifully as he runs away.

Dipper's bloodlust is satisfied; he lets out a relaxed sigh as he tilts his head up, enjoying the cold chill of the rain pattering his face. His friends knew exactly what sort of pain awaited them if they ever tried to come for him again. But there was still the matter of Mabel's friends and the twins' father.

"Shit, Dipper." Vicky says. She's shocked; Dipper had never shown his darker side before, and she didn't know where the act ended and his real hatred began. He could very well have been willing to kill for all she knew.

Over the two months spent away from Mabel as his family attempted to control him, he changed. He was still the kind-hearted, goofy, and paranoid teen. But he grew to know anger intimately; it fueled him through the long nights when he would feel locked away like a prisoner. He bottled it away and forgot it existed; but now it resurfaced. Dipper finally realizes why he shouldn't control it. The same reason Vicky is the way she is; it is necessary. Without her wolfish behavior, Timmy would have been taken from her long ago. Her evil keeps her old victims in line, and now Dipper would do the same if anyone came for Mabel again.

"It was necessary, right? That's why you always act the way you do. To protect Timmy from anyone else. I see that now." Dipper says.

"Yes… but still, it is kind of freaky seeing it from the other end."

"Hypocrite." Dipper says flatly. Vicky laughs awkwardly, relieved that at least part of the old Dipper is still there.

"Vicky, my father is still inside." Dipper says while rubbing his wounds. His mad behavior is finally catching up to him as he holds his arm in pain. Vicky and Dipper begin walking out of the alley, but find the apparent fire exit opened without harm. The cook from earlier walks out carrying a bag of garbage and chucks it in a can; he turns and stares at the two in surprise. Dipper smiles in amusement to himself.

"You… lied." Dipper says.

"What? What are you doing out here?"

"Playing, making out, smoking weed, poking dead rats… _looking for fresh bodies_." Dipper says, finishing in a low, menacing tone.

"Wh-what? Get out of here before I call the cops."

"Allow me to do it for you!" Dipper says as he shuffles back towards the dumpster in reverse.

"Beeep. Beeep. Beeep." Dipper says, mimicking a truck backing up. Vicky doesn't say a word, instead letting Dipper take control. Dipper opens the lid of the dumpster and looks in and fiddles around, poking randomly at something.

"Hey! Wake up! The cook wants to see you! Speak up!... oh, right; they're dead."

Dipper walks back to the cook, who's taking his cellphone out to call the police. Vicky snatches it from his hand.

"Come on, buzzkill, we're just having a bit of fun!" Vicky says.

"Give me back my phone."

"Not until you apologize to my friend for lying." Vicky says in an admonishing tone.

"What?" the cook says; the absurdity of the situation throws his brain in a loop.

"Just say you're sorry, and then you can get your toy back."

"Uh, sorry."

"Apology accepted." Dipper says while grabbing the cook's hand and shaking rapidly. The cook looks back at the two before turning and walking back inside.

"Woo! Haha! I see why you like this, Vicky. It's kind of fun." Dipper says enthusiastically.

"Glad you could join the dark side. We've got a dental plan; I mean, what's the point in laughing evilly if you're missing half your teeth?"

"If you're a hillbilly supervillain, maybe." Dipper says. The two deranged friends laugh as they walk out of the alley.

Dipper stops her when he spots the last police officer walk out of the doors, leaving Mabel's friends and Mr. Pines behind. Once the officer has driven away, Dipper and Vicky walk back towards the entrance. Dipper looks through the glass and spots Mabel sobbing at an open table with her old friends, Laura and Sofia. The twins' father is nowhere to be seen. Ryan is sitting across from Mabel trying to console her. Dipper feels another rush of insanity and smacks his head against the door. Dipper begins smearing his face against the glass to try and catch Mabel's attention while grinning like a mad idiot. Realizing that Mabel is too busy crying, Dipper decides to implement another strategy. Dipper wants to know which of Mabel's friends may be allies, and which ones will judge the twins no matter what. "Vicky, where's Timmy? I need his help."

"He's in the car."

Dipper and Vicky walk through the rain back to Vicky's crimson convertible. Timmy is in the front passenger seat, listening to the radio as the rain patters the roof. Dipper walks over to the door and taps on the window. Timmy looks up to spot him and rolls the window down slightly.

"Dipper? You alright?"

"I am… fangasmic." Dipper says ecstatically.

"Are you... sure you're alright?"

"Yes, yes. It's just that nearly losing everything yet again tends to put things in perspective. I need your help." Dipper replies seriously.

"What is it?"

"Mabel's inside. I need you to go and ask her what's wrong. I want you to try and bring her friends over to our side."

"Why don't I do it?" Vicky asks.

"Because my dad might not remember Timmy, but he'll definitely spot you a mile away. There were only chairs set up for Mabel and her friends. Daddy obviously doesn't want to deal with Mabel right now, so Timmy won't be interrupted."

"Makes sense." Vicky says. Timmy takes the keys out of the car and hands them over to Vicky. Timmy goes through with Dipper's plan and walks over to the club, lifting his hood up to cover against the rain. Dipper simply stands out in the parking lot, enjoying the cold chill of the rain on his face. It temporarily soothes the heat in his mind. Timmy walks into the club and sees Mabel and her friends from Piedmont. Her father was nowhere to be seen. Timmy walks over and pulls up a chair next to her.

"Mabel?" Timmy says in a sympathetic voice.

"Timmy?" she says as she lifts her head up. She had ignored her other friends; they would judge her, or they would blame Dipper. But Timmy understood the twins.

"Hey. What's going on?" Timmy says.

"The cops came. Dipper's gone." Mabel says.

"Shit." Timmy says. He wants to tell her that Dipper's alright. But he can't; Mabel's friends would simply call the cops again.

"Who are you?" Sofia asks.

"I'm Mabel and Dipper's friend." Timmy says.

"He's her twin." Ryan says, disgusted at the sentence that just came out of his mouth.

"Yes, and?" Timmy says.

"He was abusing her." Sofia says.

"No he wasn't." Mabel says.

"He didn't abuse her; they love each other." Timmy says.

"Love? That isn't love." Ryan says.

"Shut up." Mabel says angrily.

"Mabel, please." Laura says.

"You three weren't there when Mabel first showed up." Timmy starts.

"I was. I was the first person to become friends with her. You want to know what the first thing she did was? Mabel tricked her mom into thinking I was her boyfriend. That gave her a way to get out of the house. Then she called Dipper and told him where she was. You really think she'd be dumb enough to call an abusive asshole? Mabel's smarter than that."

"Thank you." Mabel says.

"That's… what?" Sofia says.

"Dipper isn't abusive. He's a good guy."

Timmy looks towards each of Mabel's friends. Sofia is confused; she doesn't know how to react with this information. Laura has a sense of dread coming over her. She stares into space as she realizes she just destroyed her friend's life. Ryan is still disgusted.

"You really bought that? You're an idiot. Dipper's a creep. Always has been." Ryan says. He doesn't allow the dark glare shot his way by Mabel to change his opinion on the twins.

"Anyways, I need to use the bathroom. Do you need anything Mabel?" Timmy says.

"A time machine would be good right now." Mabel says.

"I'm… I'm sorry." Timmy says before walking away. Once within the bathroom, Timmy takes his cellphone out and dials Vicky.

"Timmy?"

"Yeah. Put Dipper on."

"Hello, Timmy." Dipper says.

"Okay, the girl in the purple dress with the big… chest is on your side. She looked like she was going to cry. The blonde I don't know. She wasn't too sure. The guy isn't convinced."

"Thank you Timmy. I'll be right in."

"Why'd you need me to figure that out, anyways?"

"Because they wouldn't believe me if I just walked in looking like I murdered someone with my fists. Now, however, I have two more allies. So thank you."

Dipper turns the phone off and tosses it back to Vicky. Vicky and Dipper walk back towards the club. The rain has done little to calm him. Dipper opens the door when he spots Timmy and politely holds it open for his friend before walking in with Vicky, who tosses the keys back to her lover. Dipper strains the flaps of his tuxedo on the mat before walking over to Mabel's table. Sofia and Laura have turned to Mabel, trying to comfort her as they realize their mistake.

Ryan attempts to rub Mabel's shoulder and she shoves his hand away, averting her eyes from the one who helped condemn her brother. For all she knows, Dipper is long gone, dragged away in handcuffs. Dipper sneaks up on the unsuspecting group. He walks over to the table as Ryan stands up and stretches. Dipper, sensing the opportunity for the perfect entrance, slides Ryan's chair back silently. Ryan crashes to the floor as Dipper walks around and sits next to Mabel. Ryan turns to spot Vicky glaring at him, assuming the redhead is responsible for the prank.

"What's up?" Dipper says casually. Mabel looks up at the sound of his voice and smiles.

"D-D-Dip."

Mabel drags Dipper into a hug, nearly suffocating him within her grip as she rocks into him. Dipper wraps his hands around Mabel. Ryan has turned back to Dipper and glares.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Ryan asks accusingly. Dipper simply turns and grins maliciously at him.

"Deadmansayswhat." Dipper says rapidly.

"What?"

Dipper stands up, letting go of Mabel as he walks over to his opponent while trickling water and blood. Dipper leans in to Ryan's ear.

"I am going to wear your skin tonight." Dipper whispers before backing away and sitting back down.

Mabel looks towards Dipper, worrying for his sanity. Dipper turns and looks at Laura.

"Laura, how's it been? Life in Piedmont still good?" Dipper asks casually. He doesn't seem to realize he's dripping blood and water onto the floor.

"I, uh, why, um… yes?" Laura says. Dipper chuckles lightly before turning to Sofia.

"And Sofia, Mabel's buddy. How is school? Doing better in gym I hope?"

"What… what are you doing here?" Sofia asks.

"I'm here to finish my date. Some very rude people interrupted it and I'm wondering what I should do about that. Tell me, are you going to tell anyone else about Mabel and I?" Dipper asks.

"N-no. I wouldn't have agreed if I didn't think she was being hurt." Sofia says with a twinge of fear in her voice. Dipper glares at her with red, cold eyes. The Dipper she knew was gone; the friendly, nervous goofball was replaced by an angry, smiling psychopath.

"How'd you get away?" Mabel asks.

"Poseidon owed me a favor." Dipper says, joking about the torrent of rain soaking into his clothes. He doesn't seem to register how dangerous the situation is, or how close he came to being caught. He's lost it.

"Get out." Ryan says.

"Ah, Ryan; I forgot you existed there for a second." Dipper says as Vicky pulls up a chair next to Laura.

"Where's Chad and George?" Ryan asks.

"They've been… dealt with." Dipper says menacingly.

"Speaking of problems that need dealing with… are you going to be a problem?" Vicky says to Ryan. Dipper and her share a demonic smile as they glare at their victim.

"Who are you?" Ryan asks.

"Ryan, allow me to introduce my associate, Vicky Valentine; ex-babysitter, friend of all police in this beautiful city, part-time sociopath, and all around someone you never want to piss off. She and I get along very well. So well, in fact, that we've agreed that should one of us be arrested or jailed for whatever reason, the other will eliminate the cause of the problem." Dipper says. He speaks like a showman trying to create buildup for a product or service. He's far too casual for the situation at hand.

"Now then, are you going to be a problem for Mabel and I, or can we let you walk out of here with your lungs still attached?" Dipper asks while eyeing Ryan.

Ryan shifts slightly at Dipper's casual threat of murder. Dipper's dark smile has left his face, giving the appearance that he's finally serious. Ryan feels a cold chill run down his spine.

"You are not going to tell anyone, and you are going to stay out of my life." Mabel commands. The twins glare at Ryan with cold, bloodshot eyes.

"Wh-why?"

"Because if you don't, Vicky or me will kill you. And if we fail, Mabel will kill you. It's as simple as that." Dipper says. The gaze Mabel gives Ryan tells him that it's the truth.

"I… I won't tell anyone." Ryan says. Dipper jumps from his seat and walks over. Dipper grabs Ryan's hand and shakes it rapidly like an energetic salesman.

"You made a good decision here, Ryan! You won't regret it!" Dipper responds cheerfully before letting go and returning to sit down. Ryan wipes the blood from Dipper's right hand onto his jeans.

"There's just one other thing. Where is the parental unit?" Dipper asks.

"He went to go tell Mom. Shitty cell reception in this place, so he's outside somewhere." Mabel says.

"Outside in the rain with a cellphone on? And here I thought he was smart with electronics. Might as well stick a big, metal rod on his head and call Zeus his bottom-bitch." Dipper says. He then looks at Ryan again.

"Are you still here?" Dipper asks accusingly. Ryan stands up and begins to leave the table.

"And remember, I'll-be-watching-you." Dipper says in a sing-song voice. Ryan looks back one last time to spot Dipper smiling before hastily walking out of the building.

"Well then, shall we go find our father? Or should we make it a surprise for when he comes back?"

"Dipper?" Mabel says fearfully, losing her aggression. She's scared for him. She knows Dipper's madness is an act to cover how much pain he's been through. He's always been the one to turn his emotions inward. Fear, worry, sadness, and anger; he would bottle them up and do more harm to himself than anyone else. She pierces the dark shell that Dipper has constructed. Dipper drops his dark act and sighs. He grabs his aching arm while Mabel takes his free hand and begins rubbing the knuckles.

"What happened? Did you fight with Chad and George?"

"Yeah, it got pretty bad. But Vicky and I won. They won't be bothering us again." Dipper says, trying to reassure Mabel. She leans against him to settle his nerves.

"I'm… I'm sorry. I lost it." Dipper says remorsefully.

"Yeah, you kind of did there, Mr. Hulk." Mabel says, trying to joke as if everything is fine. But Dipper can tell that it isn't. The realization of his threats comes across him. He threatened to kill his old friends. He let his rage take control. Dipper looks down silently as tears form in his eyes.

"I… It's just… I heard your voice. It was just like before. The crying; I can't stand to see you cry, Mabel. And… thinking that it's going to be the end… I…I…"

Dipper loses the will to speak. He begins silently crying again at the thought of how close the twins' came to being separated. The thought of never seeing Mabel again; of holding her close for warmth, of hearing her laugh, and poking him in the face to get his attention. It's too much for the wounded teen.

"It's okay, Dippingsauce. If you didn't beat them up, I was gonna do it. And besides, Mabel here knows a thing or two about lock-picking. I'd have you busted out of jail in no time." Mabel says. The two sit silently as they embrace in relief. They were safe another day, as long as they dealt with their final problem.

"I'm sorry Mabel. I didn't know." Laura says.

"Thank you." Mabel says.

"I think you and Sofia should go. Mabel and I should speak with our dad alone." Dipper says.

"Okay. We'll see you later. I'm sorry; we won't tell anyone else about you two." Laura says. Sofia and her stand up and walk outside back to Laura's car. Mabel takes her phone out and dials her mother. Mabel hopes to reach her mother before the twins' father. Within a second Mabel receives an answer.

"I'm pulling up, I'm sorry Mabel. I'm so sorry Mabel." the twins' mother says from the other end. Mabel is ready to tell her mother the truth before Dipper motions his finger over his lips for Mabel to remain silent.

"Oh-okay." Mabel says before turning the phone off. Dipper looks to his partner in crime.

"So Vicky, do you want to have some fun?" Dipper asks.

"You know just the right words to say, don't you Vicky Jr.?"

"I never agreed to that name." Dipper says with a frown.

"Then what should we call the new you?" Vicky asks as the two stand up.

"Let's see… Bill Cipher." Dipper says. Dipper and Vicky walk away and hide in the corner. Moments later, the Pines' parents come walking inside. Dipper's mother walks up to her daughter, who sits exhausted with bloodshot eyes. Mabel's mother sits down on the chair opposite her daughter and reaches for her hand. Mabel grabs her mother's hand and gives a reassuring squeeze.

"Mabel… I don't know what to say." the twins' mother says. The twins' father sits down next to his wife.

"He's gone. We'll get you the help you need." He says, still not willing to accept the twins' love.

"Help? Where'd this help idea come from?" Mabel says coldly.

"He's going to jail, and there isn't a damn thing that creep Vicky can do now."

"Tell me, if you actually cared about us, why did you only decide to come back after all this time?" Mabel asks in a cold tone. The question pierces deep. He ran away in fear of Vicky's wrath, and only now he returned. The truth was that, deep down, he had missed his wife and daughter. Sitting at home alone for Christmas was too much, and he decided to drive out. He didn't even know what would happen, just that he needed to see his wife and Mabel again. It was only coincidence that the tools to getting rid of Dipper had shown themselves. He was driving down the street when he spotted Dipper's and Mabel's old friends in a fast food restaurant. They were discussing the twins and had already agreed to call the police on them. Their father simply gave Chad, George, and Ryan a ride back to the club.

"I… I…" the father starts, not finding the words to admit to his failure. Then the three begin to hear a familiar tune. A lullaby Dipper had taken to singing in an adorable lamb costume. Now the song was a duet. The Pines' family turn to see Vicky and Dipper walk out of the shadows whistling happily to themselves. Dipper walks over, wiping down an object with a tissue in his hand. For a brief moment, Dipper's parents see what it is; Dipper is wiping down his switchblade before he shoves it back in his pocket.

"Just tidying up. Don't mind me." Dipper says.

Dipper moves his right hand up to his head and removes an invisible hat, holding it solemnly across his heart as blood drips from his wound.

"Let us take a moment of silence for Officers Smith and Jefferson, who died in a tragic fire accident unrelated to their final case. They've gone to a better place."

Dipper then breaks out in a fit of laughter.

"Ah, who am I kidding; they're probably going to Hell." Dipper says cheerfully while sitting down next to Mabel. He looks like he's been through Hell and brought a piece of it back with him. His knuckles are bruised, his head has a red mark from when he purposefully tripped and smacked it on the pavement, his right hand bleeds from the gash, and he clutches his arm in pain as he stares with red, veiny eyes and a dark, delirious smile.

"Geez, I'm only joking. The cops are fine; probably having delicious, glazed donuts right now." Dipper says. Vicky sits next to the twins.

"How the hell did you get out?" Mr. Pines asks.

"I didn't get out because I never got in. It's funny what a simple phone call can do for you these days."

"Get out." the twins' father says.

"Why? What for? You think you can scare me? You think you can still hurt me? You think that there is anything more you can do?!" Dipper shouts as his smile wavers, showing the rage underneath for a small moment.

"I win, Mr. Pines." Dipper says triumphantly.

"What?" his father says bewilderedly; Dipper makes it sound like they were simply playing a game.

"Yes, I win. I played my pieces and I won. Because that's what this was; a game using other people. You thought you could use the cops and my old friends against me. But they were all merely pawns; puppets on strings. Easily cut. But I hold the winning pieces. My rook A.J., my bishop Phillips, my knight Turner, and my queen Vicky. Not literally, because ew. No offense." Dipper says.

"Some taken." Vicky says casually.

"But that's all this was. A game as we casually manipulate other people's lives. And now the final piece has arrived. Tell me, Mr. Pines, why haven't you dared look Mom in the eyes?"

Dipper receives no answer. Mr. Pines couldn't bring himself to look at his wife after abandoning her. If he had, he might have seen that what she wasn't feeling relief, but sadness and fear.

"Yes… that's what I thought." Dipper says. His tone is one of joyful sadism, enjoying the harm he's putting his father through. The awkward moment receives a new member as an oblivious waitress walks over to the table.

"Can I get you guys anything to drink?" she asks with a cheerful grin.

"Just some water, thanks." Vicky says casually.

"Uh, n-nothing for me." the Pines' mother says. The waitress receives no answer from the Pines' father, so she moves onto Mabel.

"I… I dunno, I guess I'll have some Rocket Juice." Mabel says with an awkward whisper.

"I'll have a cup of Joe." Dipper says.

"Uh, we don't serve coffee after twelve." the waitress says. Dipper looks at her with big, sorrowful eyes.

"I'll… I'll never find Joe again." Dipper says gloomily. The waitress laughs at Dipper's joke.

"Yeah, I'll just get some Rocket Juice too." Dipper says, completely ignoring the awkward situation and sadness of his broken family. The waitress is either trying not to make the situation worse by playing along or is too oblivious to care. She leaves the table for the drinks.

"Well, it was a good game, so I must congratulate you." Dipper says as he extends a friendly, bleeding hand to his father. Mr. Pines simply stares bewilderedly at his son.

"Come on, let bygones be bygones. I mean, all you did was take Mabel's heart and rip it in two… again." Dipper says. He laughs lightly.

"Man, the stiches on that poor thing. I'm surprised it's still beating. And for what? Because of who she loves? That's just craaazy." Dipper says, emphasizing the word "crazy" by twirling his finger about the side of his head.

"You changed her." their father says.

"You make it sound like she's a thing. That is all she's ever been to you, hasn't she? A chunk of prized meat to be sold to the highest bidder. What was the plan? Wait a couple more years and then ship her off with, what, a doctor? A lawyer? A politician? Someone who could buy her off of you?"

The twins' father stands up and walks over, ready to pounce on Dipper. Dipper simply stares at him with the same deranged grin, inviting his father to attack.

"Go ahead. Beat me to a pulp; rip my eyes out, steal the knife from my pocket and pierce my lungs, punch through my throat and collapse my windpipe. Do it, because it will be nothing compared to the pain Mabel and I have already been through." Dipper says. Dipper's father sets his hands down and returns to his seat. The older man begins tearing at the eyes as he attempts to control his anger and sadness. Dipper can't bring himself to gloat any longer. His rage fades away; somewhere deep in his angered heart he loved his father in spite of everything.

"Why? Why couldn't you just be normal?" Mr. Pines says with a defeated whisper.

"Normal? We've never been normal. I'm going to tell you how it started. I didn't control Mabel or force her into anything. I would never have hurt her; I would have bottled up all my weird feelings and been happy just to see Mabel happy. But I remember Mabel said she didn't care about people like us, so long as they didn't breed or anything. I believed the same thing, so I asked her. I saw it in her eyes; hiding the same thing I was hiding. I just wanted her to know she didn't need to be afraid anymore." Dipper says. He smiles sadly; he would have started crying again if he had anymore tears to shed. The ditzy waitress returns with the family's beverages.

"Okay, do you want to order some food?" she asks.

"No, we're good." Dipper says. The waitress walks away while humming happily. Minutes ago, Dipper was ready to twist the knife in his father's heart. But now he can't.

"I know you still love Mom, Dad. And I know that you actually care about Mabel… we were going to go out and have a nice meal… maybe, for a few hours at least, we can pretend we're still a family. Sounds loopy, I know. But it'll probably be the last chance we get in a long time." Dipper says.

His father gives him a shocked look. Confused and questioning. As if everything could be repaired so simply. The Pines' father sits as he ponders Dipper's odd request. He nearly laughs in disbelief. This was utter madness. But at the same time, he had driven back east to see his family. He knew what he was going to find. But he realizes he just hurt his family again. The twins' father doesn't respond. He simply stands up and walks out of the building; no one stops him.

Dipper's exhausted; his body aches, his face is burning from the tears, and he's cold. With his anger sedated, Dipper feels the chill of the rain soaking through his shirt. Dipper shivers before picking up his cup of Rocket Juice and drinking it. The sugary, cold beverage does little to help his body.

"I think we should go back to the apartment. You need to get warm." the twins' mother says. She turns to Vicky, who had waited silently as she allowed Dipper to take control of the conversation. Vicky had a strange sense of admiration for Dipper. She didn't know if he was brave or insane, but she felt prideful that he was able to bend the situation to his advantage. She even thinks Dipper did a better job than she could have, although she would never admit it.

"Thank you… for helping my son."

"You're welcome." Vicky responds.

"I'm going to get the car. We'll bring you home." the twins' mother says. The group stands up and walks towards the entrance. Dipper leaves a ten dollar bill on the table before he walks away. Mabel meets up with Laura and Sofia at the entrance. She gives her friends a hug and promises to start speaking with them again. The twins' mother walks out to the parking lot. She looks around for the twins' father or his car, but doesn't spot him. He's driven off again so she returns to her vehicle. Vicky wordlessly walks out to fetch her crimson convertible with Timmy, giving a half-hearted wave to the twins before leaving.

Dipper and Mabel wait for their mother to return. Dipper and Mabel hurry out of the building as the rain pours down on them. The twins quickly get into the backseat. Dipper holds his pained arm as his sleeve soaks in the blood from his hand.

"Do you need to go to the hospital?" Mrs. Pines asks worriedly.

"I'll be fine. Just need a couple of Band-Aids." Dipper says.

The twins' mother drives her children back to the apartment. They run quickly through the rain to the building. The twins' mother opens the door and allows the twins to run in. Dipper removes his wet clothes and walks over to the hamper with the dirty laundry before walking into the bathroom. He looks in the mirror, looking over the damage he inflicted on himself. Dipper takes out the medical strips and begins applying the bandages to his knuckles. He finds a bottle of rubbing alcohol and pours some onto a roll of toilet paper. He applies it to the cut in his hand and cringes at the pain. He takes out a roll of bandages and wraps it around his hand and ties it in a knot. Dipper begins shivering as he walks out of the bathroom. He now knew the cost of this relationship. What he would have to do if another situation arose. He wasn't simply ready to leave his friends and family. He was willing to fight them; to put them through pain.

"_No one will hurt Mabel and me ever again._" Dipper vows to himself. Dipper finds a blue shirt and a pair of jeans in his old high school backpack. The only thing from his old life that he took with him to Dimmsdale.

"I'll make you two some hot cocoa. Don't need you catching a cold." the twins' mother says.

"Thanks." Dipper replies as he changes. Mabel walks out of her room, wearing a short-sleeved blue shirt with a happy sun in the middle and short jeans. Dipper smiles, feeling the worry and regret fade away as he looks over his twin. Mabel joins Dipper on the couch, snuggling up far closer to him than she usually does in their mother's presence. Mabel doesn't care about the awkward situation as she leans into Dipper. The fear of loss is too much, and Mabel buries herself into Dipper's cold chest to help warm him up. Their mother comes over with a large blanket for the twins. They silently take it from her and wrap themselves up. Their mother returns minutes later with their hot cocoa.

"Thank you." Mabel says. Dipper and her stretch their hands out to receive the cups. The twins sip their drinks while their mother turns the T.V. on. Dipper takes a sip of the hot beverage to warm his body. Mabel's presence sooths his sad and worrisome nature. Dipper didn't know how much longer he could stay in Dimmsdale. His threats may have scared off his former friends, but that didn't mean it would stick. They might call the police from the safety of Piedmont. But with Mabel at his side, relaxing into his chest, none of his worries seem important anymore. Dipper allows this small moment of peace to ease his mind.

"_It doesn't matter what happens. We're staying together._" Dipper thinks.

"I'm sorry." their mother blurts out awkwardly.

"Huh? Why?" Dipper asks.

"For everything. For separating you… for drinking my ass off… I'm sorry." their mother says while avoiding eye contact.

"Thank you." Dipper responds with a whisper. Their mother had merely ignored their relationship until now. With the fear of losing her children again, she realized she doesn't care how they wish to spend their lives, so long as she keeps a part in it.

Dipper and Mabel relax happily as the sky begins to clear.


End file.
